They Called Him Hollowed
by word crazy princess
Summary: You can be abandoned but there's always a perfect stranger that will be there for you... Rated t for language.
1. chapter 1

The figure moved as a shadow on the ground, trailing the slumped figure as he drifted further and further into misery. Despite the fact his heart still beat, something about the teenager's spiritual pressure had drawn the attention of the Soul Society.

He was slowly becoming a Hollow. The recent discovery of demons and other spiritual entities was primarily left to the humans, however this Rin teenager had been directly assigned to Ichigo for observation and potential to be collected or destroyed.

The teenager had reached a breaking point following his battle on the mountain. Ichigo had lifted his fingers and nearly drew out his mask when he finally found his control. Now though, he needed to intercede much sooner.


	2. Chapter 2

The energy pouring off the orange haired teenager was one that'd send a normal being to its knees in sheer terror. To Rin, he smelled like death and fire or maybe steel and hope. Regardless, everything Rin was feeling battered against that power as he struggled to control his breathing.

"Hey," the orange haired teenager spoke. His voice calmed the loneliness and futility of trying to keep his friends down to a simmer. Something in the stranger spoke to the energy that beat like a pulse in his chest. "Take a breath, let it out slowly."

The half demon followed the whispered instructions as he tried to get a read on the stranger. His shoulders were straight, he had a confidence Rin lacked. However there was a similarality to him self that his muscles responded to.

"I'm Ichigo." the stranger introduced himself. "I'm a soul reaper."

 _What?!_ Rin's brain jumped to different conclusions before the stranger could even process what he was about to do.

Pulling his sword, the half demon teenager backed up a pace. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Placing a hand against his forehead, Ichigo sighed. "I'm not here to cause you harm, kid. Just help you get your feet under you. Soul Society pays attention to cases like yours and sometimes we get sent out to deal with the aftermath of the Vatican's exorcisms. Your case is a bit closer to my own so, they sent me to train you."

Rin felt the snarl subside that had begun to build in his throat.

"What if I don't comply?" he demanded.


	3. Chapter 3

"They'll send someone less friendly to deal with you." Ichigo replied, his eyes flickered to the side where there was a black butterfly flickering about. "Kid, they just want to keep people safe. They want to keep you safe."

Looking back at Rin, Ichigo dropped his hand back down to incline his head towards a shop. "Why don't we get some tea?"

Rin felt his right eyebrow begin to twitch when the orange haired bastard planted a hand on his shoulder to steer him into the tea shop. The older teenager wrestled Rin into a both before sliding into the other seat across from him and ordering the tea and dango before RI could say no.

Rin felt his grip relax on the cloth covered grip of his weapon as Ichigo flipped open his phone and began scrolling through different applications while they waited.

"We know what happened on the mountain. I don't think you realize half of what's happening to your soul, do you?" Ichigo continued, his stare drilling into Rin's for head as their tea arrived.

Wetting his mouth on the steaming cup of tea, Rin thought about the whole idea of souls, Gehenna, and the idea that some kind of beings were monitoring him from a place called Soul Society. Immediately he decided that was creepy beyond normal and his expression said as much. His brother might have asked a few more important questions but Rin was more interested in what this guy was trying to say to him.

"That still doesn't explain what your saying to me." he answered. "What does my soul have to do with this soul society place or why your stalking me like a creepy ex girlfriend. None of that explains why you're telling me that you or someone else is going to kick my ass or something if I don't comply. What's your deal, man?"

"I don't want to see you executed by humans or other reapers for something beyond your control. This Gehenna place is being monitored and studied by other reapers. We need you in order to figure out how normal humans and hybrids are able to see the things your Vatican calls Coal Tar. Usually in incidents that involve Coal Tars we begin seeing increased patterns of spiritual beings becoming Hollows. In case your wondering, Hollows consume the spirits of living or dead humans with a lot of life energy." Ichigo began as he started rubbing the back of his neck. An annoyed expression crossed his face as he swatted at his neck. "Argh, I'm not really expressing this right."


	4. Chapter 4

_Executed, again?!_ Rin's brain locked on those words. he was being offered a way to live though. This Ichigo guy seemed genuine yet he knew how easily it was for a person to seem like something they weren't.

"That's the answer everyone has for me. Train, become a weapon, kill or be killed." the half demon said. "This shit is getting kind of lame, man."

Ichigo nodded. "I wasn't coming here to kill you. If its not something you want I know someone who might be able to help you."

Rin jerked his head upwards. "Why didnt you say so...?"

"Because Hat 'n Clogs is dangerous, kid. He has his own ideas about what he's gonna do for you. You agree to see him, you might not be able to go back to your old life." Ichigo said, memories of his own help from the genius clouding his emotions. "Its not to say you won't benefit, however things around Urahara aren't normal."

"I can decide that for myself." Rin started, shocing himself to his feet to glare down at Ichigo. "I can do whatever I have to as long as it keeps Yukio safe."

Picking up his tea, Ichigo smirked. "Big brother, huh?"

"Eh?"

"I told you I came here to help you. My friends and I will guard your comrades while you deal with Urahara." Ichigo answered. Setting the cup down, the older teen stood up and placed a few bills on the table. "We should go."


	5. Chapter 5

Rukia glared at the young hybrid human that was leaning against a door frame. Anger was clearly in every frame of his body, yet he had done nothing to spare his own twin the agony of being alone, persecuted for a thing he could not control. The general orders handed down to the Shinigami forces was to maintain the balance of human to hollow ratios.

Yet, the monsters had become a problem when they discovered the exorcists and demons that worked against each other. Uryu and the others were working in conjunction with the Shinigami assigned to these humans while their friend tried to undo the damage done to one like this Yukio.

They had the same curse, yet this fool dared to leave the older alone with his own pain. If the Twelfth Division hadn't been observing them, they'd have missed the growing danger.

Sode no Shuriayuki glittered at her fingertips, waiting to be used. The winter war and its following events had given all of the shinigami reasons to be wary of developing powers.

"Yukio Okumura, age sixteen, male, a known exorcist and an unknown threat to the Living World. The Soul Society has issued a warrant for your arrest." she announced, her voice cold and without emotion.


	6. Chapter 6

Urahara stared down at the boy with a gleam in his eyes, the tilt of his green striped hat hiding the expression of a scientist observing a new specimen. This was the first time any of the Shinigami had gotten this close to these creatures as they appeared mostly in a physical sense and existed on their bare perceptions.

This Rin Okumura was a living hollow. Well, he was technically a half demon and yet, that was not the thing that endangered him. It was the human in him, the part that had temporarily shifted his soul chain when his demon powers were unsealed.

Even Ichigo had to die before the process was completed and he managed to maintain his living body through pure will power.

"You have endured much in your few years on this plane, young Rin. I can offer a few solutions that might otherwise be impossible. However, there will be a sacrifice onnyour part. Can you give up on every person you've vowed to protect?"


	7. chapter 7

At first, Rin couldn't understand what this man was saying to him. _Give up on protecting everyone?_

Ichigo, the person whi had brought him to this Urahara had uncrossed his arms at the question. The older man mearely smiled at the two of them as he shifted the balance of his cane.

"I'm asking a simple question, Ichigo. Now, let your friend answer." the shop keeper stated.

Rin stepped back a step, his fingers itching to draw on the sealed sword on his back as he thought. "I don't think I could." he answered finally. "Despite everything they're still my friends and Yukio is still my brother."

"Hmm. Are you sure about your final answer?" Urahara questioned. "It would be much easier to just let them go."

Rin shook his dark head, blue eyes gleaming with unshed emotions. "I'm not gonna give up on them. Not now, not ever."

Ichigo let out a breath, almost a quite sigh of relief. The downward tilt of Urahara's hat however altered whatever plans Ichigo had been considering next.

"That's most unfortunate considering that your allies, those friends and family members you so feel so passionately about have been ordered executed for the safety of all." Urahara stated, flipping open his fan as he used it to hide the lower half of his face.

There was a span of half a breath before Rin jumped forward to grab the front of Urahara's green gi.

"What the hell do you mean by that, old man?" he growled, baring the hints of fangs as Urahara smiled in the face of what could be his very own death.

"Soul Society. Ichigo must have told you what we were. Well, he's a substitute and you, my dear boy, are something special that we've been observing since we found you. We are death gods, patrons of guiding the dead onto their next journey and when someone or something interferes in the balance of things it's our job to put it back where it belongs. Now, you can go ahead and release that blue fire of yours, destroy the entire world even, however it still won't convince the Soul Society to do what you want... unless..."

Rin growled as Urahara left off. Ichigo had already wrapped a hand around his wrist and the dark haired teen could feel the power coiled in the elder's muscles. Slowly, Rin let go of the shop keeper.

"Unless what?" he demanded.

"Unless you consent to making yourself a ward of the Soul Society. It would of course mean you'd be hnder constant supervision and training with Ichigo here."


End file.
